[Radix]

The Dispensation of Grace had not yet been fully (or even partially) instituted when the Thief on the Cross was granted his forgiveness.

It was a privilege of the Messiah to invoke this blessing prior to the shedding of the blood and prior to the renting of the veil.

[castlegreyskull]

Very interesting. I never thought about it this way, but it makes perfect sense. Very powerful.

[mdmathis6]

The shedding of Jesus’ blood reaches forward and backward in time as we reckon time, God is outside of time so for him the shedding of Jesus’ blood was efficacious the moment he purposed it! Hence was the thief saved as were all those who were justified in times past by their faith!

[StormPrepper]

The Dispensation of Grace had not yet been fully (or even partially) instituted when the Thief on the Cross was granted his forgiveness.

The Lord has forgiven people of sin down through the ages long before this event on the promise of the coming atonement.

I'm not really sure what "The Dispensation of Grace" is, but the Lord can forgive at the time of choosing. If not neither Job nor Abraham could have been judged to be perfect in their life times.

Or forgiven the entire city of Nineveh. This was the whole idea behind the commandment of blood sacrifice, so people could gain forgiveness in their life times and not have to wait in death for the atonement of Christ to be complete.